Large computer networks, such as Wide Area Networks (WAN) or Internet backbone systems often incorporate various types of network devices (nodes) and network protocols. The SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) system is a high bit-rate fiber-optic based transport system that has become a well established standard for linking low and high-speed devices such as switches and multiplexers in wide-scale networks. The SONET standard uses a 51.84 megabits per second (Mbps) signal as a building block to extend the digital transmission hierarchy into the multi-gigabit range.
The network devices or nodes in a SONET system may support a signaling protocol and a routing protocol such as, for example, the Optical Signaling & Routing Protocol (OSRP). Currently, for any link that is based upon OSRP, any and every change in the actual available bandwidth in the link will result in the transmission of a routing update across the link. This routing update will advertise the actual available bandwidth information in the link. However, the frequent transmission of routing updates prevents improvements in the scalability of the network.
Therefore, the current technology is limited in its capabilities and suffers from at least the above constraints and deficiencies.